Discuss Lessons in French by Hilary Reyl:Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

Created: 11/02/14

Replies: 10

Posted Nov. 02, 2014
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Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 42

Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

These were relatives who raised her and loved her and she could easily have traveled to see them. Instead she spend time (wasted?) meeting Olivier. Is this indicative of her age?

Posted Nov. 02, 2014
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judyw

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 44

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

I agree with Hulananni. She forsook her relatives for the slight possibility of seeing Oliver and the need to impress the Schell family--a sign of immaturity.

Posted Nov. 03, 2014
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malindan

Join Date: 05/10/12

Posts: 48

missing something

Kate is at the age where she feels as though any missed opportunity to be with or see a crush or new boyfriend could result in an end to the relationship. She also vacillates between whether she should visit her relatives at Christmas or stay with and comfort her friend. In Kate's eyes her life is exciting and her relatives are not. I do feel that the author wanted us to see something more complicated about kate's reluctance to visit her relatives but I was unable to determine just what the author wanted the reader to see.

Posted Nov. 05, 2014
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Sooz

Join Date: 07/29/14

Posts: 42

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

One additional reason to those already posted is given in Kate's own words while talking to Oliver. She claims she became so attached to them that she felt disloyal to her own natural parents. Oliver tells her she probably wants to move on with her life at this point but that he is sure she will eventually look back to her time together with them and want to see them. He is right but it takes Kate quite some time to make that decision.

Posted Nov. 05, 2014
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Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 42

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

And why didn't Solange and Jacques call her? I don't remember if they had her number.

Posted Nov. 12, 2014
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tswaine

Join Date: 09/14/11

Posts: 48

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

I just think she was more interested in seeing Jacques. She is at the age that seeing and being with a boy is more fun than seeing older people even though she hadn't seen them in a long time. That's just the mind of young people her age.

Posted Nov. 13, 2014
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shirleyf

Join Date: 04/25/11

Posts: 37

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

I'm not sure if she felt disloyal to her own parents (or the memory of her father) or if she was just insensitive. Her relatives certainly knew that she was in France and it wouldn't have taken much for her to take a train to Orleans to see them for a weekend. I think she was irresponsible in not seeing them earlier in the story.

Posted Nov. 19, 2014
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theresex

Join Date: 05/21/11

Posts: 18

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

As I read the story, I felt that Kate was so eager for the romance that she didn't actually connect to her childhood friends as the best or most fun thing to do. If she wasn't infatuated or hadn't met anyone interesting, I feel she would have gone sooner. Might the potential for romance have also compensated for being bound to her job in a way that going to Orlèans would not?

Posted Nov. 19, 2014
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LindaB.

Join Date: 06/11/14

Posts: 67

Expert

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

I felt like Kate was trying so hard to be grown up and didn't want to given suggestions as to what she should be doing with her life. I kind of felt like she brushed her mother off at times well. Then again, I can't imagine sending your young child away for two years.

Posted Nov. 21, 2014
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LeahLovesBooks

Join Date: 04/08/14

Posts: 47

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

This warm.loving, stable couple was "boring" and our immature Kate wanted excitement. She grew during the novel's course.

Posted Dec. 03, 2014
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sharalynnep

Join Date: 12/04/11

Posts: 49

RE: Why was Kate so reluctant to visit Solange and Jacques

I agree with everything that's been said but I also wonder if going back to visit them would bring back unhappy memories of why she was sent there in the first place.